Just got my Diagnosis
I (27F) was admitted to the hospital two days ago for ascites. I had noticed the bloating but thought maybe i was having kidney issues. After two rounds of bactrim for UTI/kidney infection, I decided to come to the ER. Thinking it would be quick visit and some meds. Instead - my entire world was flipped upside down. I was asked about my drinking habits, drug use, etc. Of course being honest - i’ve had my fair share of drinks and overdoing it. I’ve spent the last two years definitely overindulging but have been sober for about a month (when all this started). I feel like I handed them this easy label and answer on a platter to be labeled an alcoholic with cirrhosis. However, the main doctor is adamant that narrative doesn’t add up. He feels like there’s something deeper that is causing my liver to not function properly but is at a loss.
Where i’m angry…. for the last day everyone has told me after they drained it and tested it Id get to go home… id monitor my salt, not drink, and be active and work on finding a new normal. Then, as they’re getting ready to discharge me, the main doctor let me know he thinks i’ve been slipping through the cracks for years with a poor liver and that the damage to my liver is severe enough to need to immediately get on the transplant list.
I’m scared. I feel alone. I feel uncertain about where life goes from here. I feel like I’m grieving the life I had two days ago. I can’t stop crying.
Idk what i’m looking for here - maybe words of encouragement, similar stories, to feel seen.